Chapter 59
The morning sun filtered through the study windows as Vivi and Sophia huddled over a laptop, scrolling through financial records they'd managed to uncover.
"Look at this," Sophia pointed at the screen. "Another shell company, same pattern as before. The transactions line up perfectly with Romano's known operations."
Vivi leaned closer, her brow furrowed. "And Ava's been seen meeting with his associates at least three times in the past month. This can't be coincidence."
"She's playing Damien like a fiddle." Sophia pulled up another document. "These records show she started appearing at high-society events right when Romano began moving his assets around."
"But what's their endgame?" Vivi chewed her lower lip. "Romano lost everything to Father years ago. Could this be about revenge?"
Sophia's fingers flew across the keyboard. "More than that. Look at the timing - she showed up right when Father announced his marriage to you. When the family was most vulnerable to scandal."
"And now she's wrapped around Damien..." Vivi's voice trailed off as footsteps echoed in the hallway. They quickly closed the laptop as a maid passed by.
"We need concrete proof," Sophia whispered once they were alone again. "Something that shows she's working with Romano."
"I saw her on the phone last night in the garden," Vivi said. "She was speaking in hushed tones, kept looking over her shoulder. If we could just get access to her call records..."
"Leave that to me." Sophia's eyes gleamed with determination. "I have contacts who can help us trace her communications. But we need to be careful - if she suspects we're onto her..."
"She won't," Vivi assured her. "She's too focused on Damien right now. That's our advantage."
Vivi turned to Sophia with raised eyebrows. "Wait a minute. How does an artist from Paris have these kinds of connections? This is serious intelligence work we're talking about."
Sophia's lips curved into a knowing smile. "My mother wasn't just a ballet instructor. She worked in private security before opening her dance studio. Made quite a few interesting friends over the years."
"And she taught you?"
"Some." Sophia tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "But mostly, I learned by watching. Living in Paris, you pick up things. The art world isn't just about paintings and sculptures - it's full of forgeries, money laundering, black market deals. I started noticing patterns, making connections."
"So you're telling me you were some kind of art detective?" Vivi leaned back in her chair, studying the younger woman with newfound interest.
"Not officially. But I helped expose a few fraudulent dealers. Made friends with some investigators along the way." Sophia shrugged. "Those contacts come in handy now and then."
"And here I thought you were just Father's artistic love child." Vivi shook her head with a small laugh.
"There's usually more to people than meets the eye." Sophia's expression grew serious. "Just like there's more to Ava than this seductress act she's putting on."
Vivi drummed her fingers on the mahogany desk, processing this new information. "Romano's been trying to take over Blackwood Industries for years. If Ava's working with him..."
"Then she's not just some random woman who happened to seduce Damien," Sophia finished, pulling up several documents on her tablet. "Look at these transactions. Large sums moving through shell companies, all traced back to Romano's associates."
"And the timing?" Vivi leaned closer to examine the screen.
"Started right around when Ava first appeared at that charity gala." Sophia swiped through more records. "She's been methodically working her way into the family's inner circle."
"Using Damien as her entry point." Vivi's jaw clenched. Despite her complicated feelings about him, the thought of someone manipulating him made her blood boil.
"Exactly." Sophia set down the tablet. "But we need concrete proof before we can confront her. One wrong move and she'll disappear, taking whatever scheme she's planning with her."
"What do you suggest?"
"We watch and wait. Document everything. Build our case." Sophia's hazel eyes gleamed with determination. "And most importantly, we keep this between us for now. The fewer people who know we're onto her, the better."
Vivi nodded, though her stomach churned at the thought of Ava continuing to sink her claws deeper into Damien. "I hate the idea of letting her stay close to him."
"I know." Sophia reached across the desk and squeezed Vivi's hand. "But if we want to protect this family - all of us - we need to play this smart."
Vivi paced the study while Sophia sorted through more financial records. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the Persian rug, matching Vivi's dark mood.
"There has to be something more concrete we can find," Vivi said, pausing to look over Sophia's shoulder at the laptop screen.
"I've traced three separate wire transfers from offshore accounts linked to Romano's businesses." Sophia pointed to the transactions. "All perfectly legal on paper, but the pattern is suspicious. They align exactly with Ava's appearances at major family events."
"Like breadcrumbs," Vivi muttered.
"More like a trail of money leading straight to her." Sophia pulled up another document. "Look at this - she's been renting a luxury apartment downtown. The lease agreement is under a shell corporation, but I found connections to Romano's network."
A knock at the door made both women jump. Sophia quickly minimized the windows as Reginald's secretary poked her head in.
"Mrs. Blackwood, your husband asked me to remind you about dinner with the board members tonight."
"Thank you, Clara. I'll start getting ready soon." Vivi waited until the door closed before turning back to Sophia. "We need to be more careful. If Ava suspects we're investigating her..."
"She won't," Sophia assured her. "I'm being discrete with my inquiries. Besides, she's too focused on Damien right now to notice what we're doing."
Vivi's jaw tightened at the mention of Damien, but she pushed aside the surge of emotions. This wasn't about her feelings - this was about protecting the family from whatever Romano and Ava were planning.
"Keep digging," she told Sophia. "I'll try to observe her more closely at these social events without raising suspicion."
Sophia nodded, already turning back to her research. "Be careful though. Ava's clever - she didn't get this far by being careless."